Growing Baseball Worldwide: A Business Dynasty - Page 26

CivicEvo · 08-02-2017, 03:25 PM

September 19, 2016
NEW YORK, NY

2016 National Team Rankings

The following represents the new updated rankings after the 2016 World Cup. These rankings are representative of nation performance since 2013. All international competition results are tracked in ELO form, creating a more true indication of the best baseball nations over time.

1.

Mexico- 1346
2.

Canada- 1141
3.

United States - 1008
4.

South Korea - 982
5.

Puerto Rico - 901
6.

Venezuela - 856
7.

Japan - 765

A more detailed summary of nation rankings over time can be found below:

2017 First Region Tournament

The IBF announced today the second "First Region" tournament, featuring 8 nations. This will likely be the last First Region event as the IBF will begin to expand into two separate regions once a new nation establishes a national team in 2018. Mexico, the 2013 champion, highlights the field as well as Cuba, who has officially submitted entry into the tournament and will participate in their first ever official IBF event.

This event will contain a 6-game round robin with the top two teams from each group advancing into a 4-team, single elimination tournament.

Groups are as follows (national rank in parenthesis):

GROUP A

(1) Mexico
(4) South Korea
(5) Puerto Rico
(8) Cuba

GROUP B

(2) Canada
(3) United States
(6) Venezuela
(7) Japan

Association Championship Week is Next!

KingofWarsaw · 08-02-2017, 03:39 PM

I know I asked this question the last time you posted the country rankings, but it seems like the USA are just doing worse and worse. The league leaders from every league were mostly Mexicans, which we had expected because they dominated. But now, the US is better matched up against South Korea than they are Canada. Seeing as the USA league is the best it is so interesting to me that the Americans have seemingly stopped producing talent. Are there any young Americans that you think could propel the US to the top?

CivicEvo · 08-02-2017, 10:52 PM

2016 Championship

(1) Dallas vs. (2) Houston

Game 1: Dallas - 9; Houston - 3
Game 2: Dallas - 3; Houston - 0
Game 3: Houston - 4; Dallas - 3
Game 4: Houston - 4; Dallas - 3
Game 5: Dallas - 2; Houston - 0
Game 6: Dallas - 2; Houston - 0

Dallas wins the series 4-2 and finally, after 16 years, wins their first ever USABL Championship!

Series MVP: SP Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas

Final Playoff Tree

2016 Wild Card Round
Best of 5

(2) Puebla vs. (3) Monterrey

Game 1: Monterrey - 3; Puebla - 0
Game 2: Puebla - 3; Monterrey - 2
Game 3: Puebla - 6; Monterrey - 5
Game 4: Monterrey - 3; Puebla - 1
Game 5: Monterrey - 3; Puebla - 1

Monterrey wins the series 3-2, and advances to the MEXBL Finals!

Series MVP: C R.J. Natal (MEX) - Monterrey

2016 Championship

(1) Mexico City vs. (3) Monterrey

Game 1: Mexico City - 6; Monterrey - 2
Game 2: Mexico City - 4; Monterrey - 3
Game 3: Mexico City - 6; Monterrey - 1
Game 4: Monterrey - 5; Mexico City - 2
Game 5: Mexico City - 5; Monterrey - 0

Mexico City wins the series 4-1 and wins their 5th MEXBL Championship in just 6 years!

Series MVP: SP Andres Pantoja (MEX) - Mexico City

Final Playoff Tree

2016 Championship

(1) Toronto vs. (2) Ottawa

Game 1: Toronto - 18; Ottawa - 5
Game 2: Toronto - 14; Ottawa - 7
Game 3: Toronto - 6; Ottawa - 4
Game 4: Ottawa - 7; Toronto - 4
Game 5: Ottawa - 10; Toronto - 5
Game 6: Toronto - 6; Ottawa - 5

Toronto wins the series 4-2 and wins their 1st ever CANBL Championship!

All four original CANBL teams have now won championships!

Series MVP: C Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto

Final Playoff Tree

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That does it for the club season! Champions league preview and tournament to come. Additionally, there will be one more Hall of Fame announcement before the year is out.

@KingOfWarsaw - This is a great thought and I'll have a lot of detail in terms of where things are at tomorrow as part of the Champions League preview.

CivicEvo · 08-03-2017, 12:40 PM

Positional Hall of Fame at Third Base

The IBF Positional Hall of Fame of Third Base has announced today that 3B Darby Duncan (USA) will be the first member into their positional Hall of Fame. Duncan, a veteran of both New York and Philadelphia played 9 seasons in the IBF from 2000-2009. He will represent the Philadelphia Baseball Club in this Hall of Fame. During his time in the IBF, he compiled the following stats (stats are games in which Duncan played 3B, and represented his positional All-Time rank at induction date, where applicable):

Games: 341
At-Bats: 1200 - 10th
Runs: 163 - 8th
Hits: 320 - 8th
Doubles: 44 - 10th
Triples: 7 - 5th
Home Runs: 41 - 5th
RBIs: 177 - 6th
Stolen Bases: 16
AVG: .267 - 5th
OPS: .776 - 5th
WAR: 11.4 - 7th

Darby Duncan revolutionized third base in the IBF. After starting his career in New York, Duncan moved onto become a star in Philadelphia leading the club to their only playoff appearance in team history. A 3-time All-Star at 3B, and the 2002 MVP of the league, Duncan showed that he could play with the best of them. While his tenure in the IBF was somewhat short at just 9 years, he still remains one of the best Third Basemen in federation history, and certainly the first truly great one. The committee voted him in just above the 75% threshold as he becomes the first member of the IBF Positional Hall of Fame of Third Base.

--

That concludes this year's Hall of Fame inductees. More will be announced during the 2017 season! As a guide see below for all of the 2016 inductions:

Philadelphia Franchise: Darby Duncan
New York Franchise: Milo Hoover, Kevin Adkins
Dallas Franchise: Aaron Klink, Mike Cooper
Positional at 3B: Darby Duncan

CivicEvo · 08-07-2017, 05:03 PM

October 1, 2016
NEW YORK, NY

The International Baseball Federation has released this year's groups for the inaugural Club World Cup. All 24 teams have been invited to participate in the federation's most prestigious club championship. There will be 6 groups of 4 teams each, with a 6-game round robin. The top two teams from each group will advance to a 12-team single elimination tournament, which will determine the winner. Seeds for the tournament will be based on record and run differential. Below are the groups for this year's tournament:

Group A

Dallas - 51-19 (.729) - 1st USABL - Rank: 11
Montreal - 22-22 (.500) - 3rd CANBL - Rank: 21
Monterrey - 30-24 (.556) - 3rd MEXBL - Rank: 17
Caracas - 5-15 (.250) - 2nd VENBL - Rank: N/A

Group B

Houston - 44-26 (.629) - 2nd USABL - Rank: 3
New York - 34-36 (.486) - 7th USABL - Rank: 10
Miami - 29-41 (.414) - 8th USABL - Rank: 14
Maracaibo - 15-5 (.750) - 1st VENBL - Rank: N/A

Group C

Washington - 44-26 (.629) - 3rd USABL - Rank: 8
Los Angeles - 35-36 (.493) - 6th USABL - Rank: 5
Toluca - 26-28 (.481) - 4th MEXBL - Rank: 13
Leon - 7-47 (.130) - 7th MEXBL - Rank: N/A

Group D

Mexico City - 39-16 (.709) - 1st MEXBL - Rank: 4
Ottawa - 23-21 (.523) - 2nd CANBL - Rank: 12
San Francisco - 21-49 (.300) - 9th USABL - Rank: 16
Calgary - 20-24 (.455) - 5th CANBL - Rank: 19

Group E

Chicago - 40-30 (.571) - 4th USABL - Rank: 1
Boston - 36-35 (.507) - 5th USABL - Rank: 2
Tijuana - 26-28 (.481) - 5th MEXBL - Rank: 15
Guadalajara - 24-30 (.444) - 6th MEXBL - Rank: 6

Group F

Puebla - 38-17 (.691) - 2nd MEXBL - Rank: 20
Toronto - 25-19 (.568) - 1st CANBL - Rank: 7
Philadelphia - 17-53 (.243) - 10th USABL - Rank: 18
Vancouver - 20-24 (.455) - 4th CANBL - Rank: 9

The round robin results will be next!

--

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingofWarsaw

I know I asked this question the last time you posted the country rankings, but it seems like the USA are just doing worse and worse. The league leaders from every league were mostly Mexicans, which we had expected because they dominated. But now, the US is better matched up against South Korea than they are Canada. Seeing as the USA league is the best it is so interesting to me that the Americans have seemingly stopped producing talent. Are there any young Americans that you think could propel the US to the top?

This is a great question. The United States league still remains the best in the world, and in large part that is due to their financial system, which still is miles ahead of the other leagues. As such those teams still can trade for and sign better players, and retain the talent that's already come through the league. There has been a shift over the last 5-6 years where before the Canadian and Mexican leagues formed, all of the talent from those countries was coming through IFA at a top modifier.

Once the leagues are formed, however, the modifiers change. Right now Mexico is still producing absolute top talent, as they are the #1 country in the world. But from there, there are slight decreases. For now, that's not totally noticeable, but it will be over time.

The Mexican and Canadian players who are legacy pre-CANBL and MEXBL are now starting to leave their prime. Most of them are between 29-32 at this point, and much of the talent that was ahead in the early years from the USA is long retired and even entering in Halls of Fame at this point. The USA is just starting to regroup from that as more players get more chances on depth charts. There's a solid pitching foundation with guys like Mike Garrett and Vance Armstrong. Players like Nick Muglia at SS, Kyle Lewellen at 2B are making strong impacts. I think we'll start to see the US turn the corner.

The other thing that's hurt the US in terms of ranking is that they've been grandfathered into the main draws, which the ELO rating doesn't take into account since they aren't playing games. It's been a huge boost for teams like South Korea who are playing closer competition. But in next year's tournament, for example, I suspect we will see some serious self-correction as there's only one "phase" of the tournament.

Additionally, this has also hurt their talent influx as the number of players generated in the draft is directly tied to country ranking as well. These are models that go on behind the scenes to unfold the story in a more believable way relative to what is going on in the game. In other words, baseball will be more popular in Mexico than anywhere else due to their success, and as such, they will produce more talent. Once the US starts to win more, they'll start to see a greater volume of players enter the game into the USABL directly. I should note the financial systems for each of the leagues works this way as well - the % of inflation on salaries, attendance figures (i.e. stadium capacity), and ticket sales are heavily impacted by "baseball popularity," or in other words, how the country fares in international play.

Long story short, I think the USA is primed for a turnaround, but it's still very possible that it's a few years off as they wait for the Mexican stars to leave their prime. Hope this helps!

CivicEvo · 08-07-2017, 10:23 PM

November 1 - November 15, 2016
Chicago, Illinois, USA

Group A

Dallas - 51-19 (.729) - 1st USABL - Rank: 11
Montreal - 22-22 (.500) - 3rd CANBL - Rank: 21
Monterrey - 30-24 (.556) - 3rd MEXBL - Rank: 17
Caracas - 5-15 (.250) - 2nd VENBL - Rank: N/A

Group B

Houston - 44-26 (.629) - 2nd USABL - Rank: 3
New York - 34-36 (.486) - 7th USABL - Rank: 10
Miami - 29-41 (.414) - 8th USABL - Rank: 14
Maracaibo - 15-5 (.750) - 1st VENBL - Rank: N/A

Group C

Washington - 44-26 (.629) - 3rd USABL - Rank: 8
Los Angeles - 35-36 (.493) - 6th USABL - Rank: 5
Toluca - 26-28 (.481) - 4th MEXBL - Rank: 13
Leon - 7-47 (.130) - 7th MEXBL - Rank: N/A

Group D

Mexico City - 39-16 (.709) - 1st MEXBL - Rank: 4
Ottawa - 23-21 (.523) - 2nd CANBL - Rank: 12
San Francisco - 21-49 (.300) - 9th USABL - Rank: 16
Calgary - 20-24 (.455) - 5th CANBL - Rank: 19

Group E

Chicago - 40-30 (.571) - 4th USABL - Rank: 1
Boston - 36-35 (.507) - 5th USABL - Rank: 2
Tijuana - 26-28 (.481) - 5th MEXBL - Rank: 15
Guadalajara - 24-30 (.444) - 6th MEXBL - Rank: 6

Group F

Puebla - 38-17 (.691) - 2nd MEXBL - Rank: 20
Toronto - 25-19 (.568) - 1st CANBL - Rank: 7
Philadelphia - 17-53 (.243) - 10th USABL - Rank: 18
Vancouver - 20-24 (.455) - 4th CANBL - Rank: 9

Tournament Seeds

1. Washington (USA)
2. Dallas (USA)
3. Los Angeles (USA)
4. New York (USA)
5. Chicago (USA)
6. Houston (USA)
7. Vancouver (CAN)
8. Puebla (MEX)
9. Monterrey (MEX)
10. Calgary (CAN)
11. San Francisco (USA)
12. Tijuana (MEX)

The tournament takes place tomorrow!

CivicEvo · 08-08-2017, 11:16 PM

November 10 - November 15, 2016
Chicago, Illinois

Wild Card Round

(5) Chicago [USA] vs. (12) Tijuana [MEX]
(6) Houston [USA] vs. (11) San Francisco [USA]
(7) Vancouver [CAN] vs. (10) Calgary [CAN]
(8) Puebla [MEX] vs. (9) Monterrey [MEX]

Quarterfinal Round

(1) Washington [USA] vs. (8) Puebla [MEX]
(2) Dallas [USA] vs. (10) Calgary [CAN]
(3) Los Angeles [USA] vs. (6) Houston [USA]
(4) New York [USA] vs. (5) Chicago [USA]

Semifinal Round

(1) Washington [USA] vs. (5) Chicago [USA]
(2) Dallas [USA] vs. (6) Houston [USA] (A USABL finals rematch!)

2016 Club World Cup Finals

(5) Chicago [USA] vs. (6) Houston [USA]

Chicago wins their second Club Championship in a row, and wins the 2016 Club World Cup!

Final Bracket

Awards and early off-season updates to come...

Updated Champions List: IBF History

2000 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2001 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2002 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2003 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2004 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2005 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2006 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club
2007 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2008 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2009 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2010 USABL Champion: Houston Baseball Club
2011 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2012 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2013 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club
2014 USABL Champion: Houston Baseball Club
2015 USABL Champion: Washington Baseball Club
2016 USABL Champion: Dallas Baseball Club

2010 CANBL Champion: Vancouver Baseball Club
2011 CANBL Champion: Montreal Baseball Club
2012 CANBL Champion: Montreal Baseball Club
2013 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club
2014 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club
2015 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club
2016 CANBL Champion: Toronto Baseball Club

2011 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2012 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2013 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2014 MEXBL Champion: Monterrey Baseball Club
2015 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club
2016 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club

2016 VENBL Champion: Maracaibo Baseball Club

2007 Gold Cup Champion: United States
2009 Gold Cup Champion: United States
2011 Gold Cup Champion: Mexico
2012 Division I Champion: Mexico
2013 First Region Champion: Mexico
2014 Americas Cup Champion: Mexico
2015 Division I Champion: Mexico
2016 World Cup: Mexico

2010 North American Champions League D1: Dallas Baseball Club
2011 First Region Champions League D1: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2012 Division I Champions League D1: Houston Baseball Club
2013 First Region Champions League D1: Los Angeles Baseball Club
2014 North American Champions League D1: Boston Baseball Club
2015 Division I Champions League D1: Chicago Baseball Club
2016 Club World Cup: Chicago Baseball Club

2010 North American Champions League D2: Chicago Baseball Club
2011 First Region Champions League D2: Washington Baseball Club
2013 First Region Champions League D2: Miami Baseball Club
2014 North American Champions League D2: Toronto Baseball Club

2010 North American Champions League D3: Boston Baseball Club

CivicEvo · 08-10-2017, 01:06 AM

United States Baseball League

Most Valuable Player
Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - 3B - Dallas (1st)

Pitcher of the Year
Antonio Palacios (MEX) - SP - Dallas (3rd)

Reliever of the Year
Will March (CAN) - RP - Dallas (3rd)

All-Stars
Pitcher: Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas (3rd)
Catcher: Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas (3rd)
First Base: Bob Wolfe (USA) - New York (2nd)
Second Base: Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas (3rd)
Third Base: Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas (2nd)
Shortstop: Antonio Santos (MEX) - Boston (1st)
Left Field: Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington (3rd)
Center Field: Jose Guzman (PUR) - Los Angeles (1st)
Right Field: Broderick Paul (CAN) - Los Angeles (1st - USABL)

Mexico Baseball League

Most Valuable Player
Hector Flores (MEX) - RF - Puebla (2nd)

Pitcher of the Year
Carl Walker (USA) - SP - Puebla (1st)

Reliever of the Year
Danny Castillo (MEX) - RP - Monterrey (1st)

All-Stars
Pitcher: Carl Walker (USA) - Puebla (1st)
Catcher: R.J. Natal (MEX) - Monterrey (2nd)
First Base: Armando Rodriguez (MEX) - Tijuana (1st)
Second Base: Pete Corson (USA) - Tijuana (1st)
Third Base: Eddie Lopez (MEX) - Monterrey (1st)
Shortstop: Alfonso Trujillo (MEX) - Mexico City (3rd)
Left Field: Juan Munoz (MEX) - Toluca (1st)
Center Field: Tony Fuentes (PUR) - Monterrey (1st)
Right Field: Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla (2nd)

Canada Baseball League

Most Valuable Player
Jorge Gomez (MEX) - C - Toronto (2nd)

Pitcher of the Year
Bob Winsor (CAN) - SP - Toronto (1st)

Reliever of the Year
Jake Mortimer (USA) - RP - Montreal (1st)

All-Stars
Pitcher: Bob Winsor (CAN) - Toronto (1st)
Catcher: Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto (6th)
First Base: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal (3rd)
Second Base: Bill Bolitho (AUS) - Calgary (1st)
Third Base: Julien Blanc (CAN) - Calgary (7th)
Shortstop: Manny Flores (MEX) - Toronto (1st)
Left Field: Brad Updegraff (USA) - Montreal (1st)
Center Field: Michel Sanchez (CAN) - Toronto (1st)
Right Field: Ken Stackhouse (CAN) - Ottawa (1st)

Venezuela Baseball League

Most Valuable Player
Christian Teslo (CAN) - CF - Maracaibo (1st)

Pitcher of the Year
Pierangelo Baldato (VEN) - SP - Maracaibo (1st)

Reliever of the Year
Joseph Warren (USA) - RP - Maracaibo (1st)

All-Stars
Pitcher: Pierangelo Baldato (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st)
Catcher: Alejandro Fierro (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st)
First Base: Billy Kaufman (USA) - Caracas (1st)
Second Base: David Vogel (USA) - Maracaibo (1st - VENBL)
Third Base: Ernesto Amaro (CUB) - Caracas (1st)
Shortstop: Manny Gonzales (VEN) - Caracas (1st)
Left Field: Gil Sandoval (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st)
Center Field: Christian Teslo (CAN) - Maracaibo (1st)
Right Field: Murilo Caseiro (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st)

Up Next: A list of the Top 25 Free Agents as we move into the 2017 First Region International Tournament and the IBF Offseason!

CivicEvo · 08-10-2017, 09:26 PM

The IBF has released the top 25 players to hit free agency this upcoming off-season:

After the 2017 First Region Championship, the offseason will begin in earnest and these 25 players (plus more) could find themselves in new homes! We'll update the sheet after the off-season with who landed where.

Next Up: The 2017 First Region Championship Preview

CivicEvo · 08-14-2017, 04:19 PM

The 2017 First Region Tournament is about to get under way! This preview will include the following: Composite Rankings and the Top 5 Players at each Position.

Composite Rankings

Positional Rankings
2016 Club team listed; if none listed, did not appear in an IBF Association game.

Catchers

1. Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas
2. Randy Dunse (CAN) - Vancouver
3. R.J. Natal (MEX) - Monterrey
4. Masao Tsuboi (JPN)
5. Miguel Elorza (VEN)

First Base

1. Devin Clark (CAN) - Boston
2. Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Houston
3. Bob Wolfe (USA) - New York
4. Armando Pena (PUR)
5. Ricky Acuna (CUB) - Puebla

Second Base

1. Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas
2. Jeff Pugliese (USA) - Houston
3. Tony Fuentes (PUR) - Monterrey
4. Alex Haydon (CAN) - Miami
5. Orlando Seda (VEN) - Boston

Third Base

1. Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas
2. Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston
3. Chris Renda (CAN) - Miami
4. Ernesto Amaro (CUB) - Caracas
5. Carlos Segura (PUR) - Guadalajara

Shortstop

1. Antonio Santos (MEX) - Boston
2. Nick Muglia (USA) - New York
3. Ethan Paddock (CAN) - Los Angeles
4. Daisuke Yamashiro (JPN) - Puebla
5. Antonio Gamez (VEN) - Toronto

Left Field

1. Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington
2. Eric Towers (USA) - Houston
3. Esteban Bello (MEX) - Guadalajara
4. Mario Landin (PUR) - Dallas
5. Yoon-tae Sohn (KOR) - New York

Center Field

1. Jose Guzman (PUR) - Los Angeles
2. Jean-Luc Delattre (CAN) - San Francisco
3. Bobby Wicker (USA) - New York
4. Eddie Lopez (MEX) - Monterrey
5. Leonardo Medina (VEN)

Right Field

1. Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City
2. Bill Klein (CAN) - Boston
3. Yong-u Che (KOR) - Washington
4. Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla
5. Juan Valdez (VEN) - Boston

Starting Pitcher (Ace Listed)

1. Vance Armstrong (USA) - New York
2. Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas
3. Glen Leahy (CAN) - Dallas
4. Hugo Guerrero (PUR) - Ottawa
5. Benigno Oliveria (VEN) - Washington

Relief Pitcher/Closer

1. Will March (CAN) - Dallas
2. Danny Dewar (USA) - Boston
3. Myun-gu Kim (KOR) - Puebla
4. Jose Torrez (PUR) - Boston
5. Danny Castillo (MEX) - Monterrey

2017 First Region Tournament

The IBF announced today the second "First Region" tournament, featuring 8 nations. This will likely be the last First Region event as the IBF will begin to expand into two separate regions once a new nation establishes a national team in 2018. Mexico, the 2013 champion, highlights the field as well as Cuba, who has officially submitted entry into the tournament and will participate in their first ever official IBF event.

This event will contain a 6-game round robin with the top two teams from each group advancing into a 4-team, single elimination tournament.

Groups are as follows (national rank in parenthesis):

GROUP A

(1) Mexico
(4) South Korea
(5) Puerto Rico
(8) Cuba

GROUP B

(2) Canada
(3) United States
(6) Venezuela
(7) Japan

Round Robin portion of the tournament is tonight!

CivicEvo · 08-15-2017, 12:29 AM

GROUP A

The Teams

(1) Mexico - 1346 Points
(4) South Korea - 982 Points
(5) Puerto Rico - 901 Points
(8) Cuba - N/A

The Results

GROUP B

The Teams

(2) Canada - 1141 Points
(3) United States - 1008 Points
(6) Venezuela - 856 Points
(7) Japan - 765 Points

The Results

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The Bracket

Matchups - Single Elimination

(1) Canada [B] vs. (4) United States [B]
(2) Mexico [A] vs. (3) Puerto Rico [A]

The tournament is next!

CivicEvo · 08-16-2017, 07:09 PM

Semifinal Round
[B](1) Canada [B] vs. (4) United States

(2) Mexico [A] vs. (3) Puerto Rico [A]

2017 First Region Finals

(2) Mexico vs. (4) United States

Tournament MVP: RF Hector Flores (MEX) - .400 AVG - 4 HR - 10 RBI

MEXICO once again reigns supreme and wins the 2017 First Region Tournament. This is their seventh consecutive international victory.

The offseason report comes next!

CivicEvo · 08-18-2017, 10:52 PM

The 2017 season is set to get under way! An offseason recap and 2017 USABL Preview will be up over the next few days, but with the IFA season having come and gone, here is an update on how countries are trending from 2015-2017 in terms of registered IBF players:

A few notes:

- The United States is still struggling to maintain their numbers each year. Certainly, many believe their success in this year's international tournament could help some, but for whatever reason more players are still going out than coming in. As a result, Mexico is by far the #1 baseball factory in the world these days.

- It should come as no surprise, but the four countries with association leagues are the top-4 most common countries of registered IBF players. Venezuela saw a gain of 13 players this year, and it's likely that type of growth will continue in the short-term.

- England became the 16th country to reach 20 registered players. Japan and Puerto Rico are the only countries without leagues that have 50 players registered in the IBF.

- The biggest growth markets (non-association) this year were Australia, Japan, Italy, Costa Rica, and England. That ranges 4 continents!

- Argentina and South Africa registered 5 and 4 players respectively, in their initial year as a registered baseball nation.

The offseason report is next!

CivicEvo · 08-20-2017, 11:45 AM

Earlier this offseason we displayed the top 25 free agents in the IBF. With the off-season coming to a close, this is how they landed:

It was the biggest FA signing period in IBF history, with a record 6 players receiving over $10,000 average yearly salaries!

- Kent Marsh (USA) stayed with Houston, signing the biggest contract in franchise history at $74,400 over 6 seasons.

- His teammate, Paco Guichardo (MEX) got a short-term huge deal from Philadelphia and will move to the City of Brotherly Love as he instantly becomes the team leader as he tries to move that team out from the bottomless pit they have been for many years.

- Dallas recruited Jorge Calderon (MEX) to become their shortstop, as they signed the Mexican All-Star to a 6 year deal worth $81,000 - the biggest contract of the off-season. He joins an All-Star Mexican infield which already had Tony Gomez and League MVP Edgar Bonilla. Dallas has become a real hotbed for All-Star Mexican players who can earn top dollars while being closer to their home country.

- As a result, Bob Hudson (USA) moved on to Chicago, signing a 5 year deal at $61,000. Chicago was in the market for a star SS after moving Antonio Santos to Boston during the 2016 season.

- Finally, a pair of pitchers hit the $10K mark as George Gregg (USA) returned to his roots in San Francisco signing a 3 year deal, and Houston signed Steven Watson (USA) to a 3 year deal replacing what they were expecting to pay Guichardo before he left for Philly.

- A more formalized USABL preview will be up tonight, with the season getting fully underway tomorrow!

CivicEvo · 08-21-2017, 02:28 PM

The 2017 USABL Season is about to get under way! This preview will include the following: Composite Rankings and the Top 5 Players at each Position.

Composite Rankings

Positional Rankings

Catchers

1. Alex Marquez (CRC) - Chicago
2. Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas
3. Chang-ho Park (USA) - Houston
4. Bob Roseberry (USA) - Philadelphia
5. Jeremy Patterson (USA) - Los Angeles

First Base

1. Victor Gonzalez (PAN) - Dallas
2. Devin Clark (CAN) - Boston
3. Frank Torres (MEX) - Chicago
4. Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Philadelphia
5. Bob Wolfe (USA) - New York

Second Base

1. Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas
2. Jeff Pugliese (USA) - Houston
3. Kyle Lewellen (USA) - New York
4. Alex Haydon (CAN) - Miami
5. Mitchell Williams (USA) - Boston

Third Base

1. Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas
2. Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston
3. Alex Munoz (USA) - Miami
4. Weldon Parker (USA) - New York
5. J.D. Brown (USA) - Los Angeles

Shortstop

1. Antonio Santos (MEX) - Boston
2. Nick Muglia (USA) - New York
3. Jorge Calderon (MEX) - Dallas
4. Bob Hudson (USA) - Chicago
5. Chris Renda (CAN) - Miami

Left Field

1. Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington
2. Dan Aylward (CAN) - Boston
3. Gordon Henry (CAN) - Dallas
4. Mario Moreno (MEX) - San Francisco
5. Joe Moran (USA) - Los Angeles

Center Field

1. Jose Guzman (PUR) - Los Angeles
2. Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston
3. Tyler Hickmott (BRB) - Chicago
4. Jean-Luc Delattre (CAN) - San Francisco
5. Bobby Wicker (USA) - New York

Right Field

1. Arturo Calderon (CRC) - Miami
2. Jose Rojas (MEX) - Chicago
3. Bill Klein (CAN) - Boston
4. Broderick Paul (CAN) - Los Angeles
5. Eric Towers (USA) - Houston

Starting Pitcher (Ace Listed)

1. Brian Leise (USA) - Washington
2. Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas
3. Antonio Lopez (MEX) - Houston
4. Mike Garrett (USA) - Chicago
5. Richard Woodard (USA) - Miami

Relief Pitcher/Closer

1. Will March (CAN) - Dallas
2. Billy McGee (USA) - Washington
3. Hudson Pretty (CAN) - Los Angeles
4. Steven Hickman (USA) - New York
5. Danny Dewar (USA) - Boston

CivicEvo · 08-21-2017, 11:21 PM

Standings: June 18, 2017

Starting next update (tomorrow): The start of weekly updates on players who are considered significant in IBF history. Each league has players that have contributed at a high level over the course of their careers. It's time to start reporting on that. That will begin tomorrow.

One small update from Canada as Ottawa has signed OF Ricky Garrison (USA) to a 1 year, $1,780 contract.

CivicEvo · 08-23-2017, 12:23 AM

Standings: June 24, 2017

Contract Update

Chicago signs SP Mike Garrett (USA) to a 6 Year, $74,600 extension through the 2023 season.

Key Player Update: Catchers

AVG HR RBI OPS SB
Player Nationality Position 2017 Team Record ERA BB K WHIP
Alex Marquez CRC C Chicago 0.406 2 10 1.188 0
Chang-ho Park USA C Houston 0.273 2 8 0.836 1
Nasir Hussaini USA C Dallas 0.282 2 5 0.795 0

Key Player Update: Boston

				AVG	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
Player	Nationality	Position	2017 Team	Record	ERA	BB	K	WHIP
Devin Clark	CAN	1B	Boston	0.318	2	8	0.854	0
Dan Aylward	CAN	LF	Boston	0.372	0	4	0.821	5
Antonio Santos	MEX	SS	Boston	0.233	3	6	0.709	1

More updates to come tomorrow!

CivicEvo · 08-23-2017, 04:38 PM

VALENCIA, VENEZUELA
June 25, 2017

The Venezuelan Baseball Association, in concert with the International Baseball Federation, has announced the formation of the Venezuelan league's third team - the Valencia Baseball Club, to begin operations for the 2018 season.

About Valencia
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia,_Carabobo

Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela. The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies

Map of the League
Valencia Highlighted in Green

Week 2 comes tonight!

CivicEvo · 08-24-2017, 12:33 AM

Standings: July 2, 2017

Notable Player Transactions

Washington SP Kyle Morehouse (USA) will miss all of the 2017 season with shoulder inflammation.

Miami SP Richard Woodard (USA) will miss all of the 2017 season with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.

Houston SP Steven Watson (USA) will miss all of the 2017 season with shoulder inflammation

Tough year for USA aces...

Player Update - Batters (Stats through 7/2/17)
Finally had time to build this out more... Pitchers will be added for the next update

First Name	Last Name	Nationality	Position	2017 Team	AVG	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
Alex	Marquez	CRC	C	Chicago	0.358	4	13	1.084	0
Antonio	Santos	MEX	SS	Boston	0.328	6	17	0.997	2
Robert	Delattre	CAN	LF	Washington	0.357	4	15	1.018	1
Jose	Guzman	PUR	CF	Los Angeles	0.258	3	8	0.846	3
Devin	Clark	CAN	1B	Boston	0.343	4	14	0.955	0
Paco	Guichardo	MEX	1B	Philadelphia	0.369	3	12	0.955	0
Jorge	Calderon	MEX	SS	Dallas	0.321	2	12	0.930	1
Nasir	Hussaini	USA	C	Dallas	0.345	2	7	0.917	0
Tony	Gomez	MEX	2B	Dallas	0.350	2	10	0.898	1
Antonio	Torres	HON	CF	Houston	0.261	5	12	0.842	2
Dan	Aylward	CAN	LF	Boston	0.379	0	4	0.862	7
Kent	Marsh	USA	3B	Houston	0.313	2	10	0.781	3
Alfred	Kerry	CAN	3B	Chicago	0.311	0	8	0.774	1
Nate	Humphreys	USA	RF	Dallas	0.333	0	8	0.754	1
Chang-ho	Park	USA	C	Houston	0.188	2	8	0.611	1
Edgar	Bonilla	MEX	3B	Dallas	0.317	1	7	0.834	7
Hugh	Blue	USA	2B	Los Angeles	0.222	1	7	0.632	0
Weldon	Parker	USA	3B	New York	0.160	1	3	0.531	1
Mario	Moreno	MEX	LF	San Francisco	0.279	0	6	0.719	2
Jonathan	Arrington	USA	LF	Chicago	0.250	1	3	0.697	2
Tyler	Hickmott	BRB	CF	Chicago	0.230	0	8	0.522	5
Jose	Rojas	MEX	RF	Chicago	0.193	1	4	0.654	0
Bob	Hudson	USA	SS	Chicago	0.227	0	3	0.574	2
Bob	Wolfe	USA	1B	New York	0.169	2	8	0.511	0

CivicEvo · 08-24-2017, 02:29 PM

June Players of the Month

The United States Baseball League has announced the following players as June’s Players of the Month:

SP Kyle Morehouse (USA) - Washington
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

C Alex Marquez (CRC) - Chicago
San Miguel, Costa Rica

1B Sam Londrigan (USA) - Washington
Bethesda, Maryland

2B Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas
San Vicente, Mexico

3B Alex Munoz (USA) - Miami
Waldoboro, Maine

SS Bruno Pierson (CAN) - Los Angeles
Vancouver, British Columbia

LF Ben Bailey (USA) - Houston
Ontario, California

CF Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston
Tegucigalpa, Honduras

RF Arturo Calderon (CRC) - Miami
Guacimo, Costa Rica

08-02-2017, 03:25 PM	#501
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016 World Rankings September 19, 2016 NEW YORK, NY 2016 National Team Rankings The following represents the new updated rankings after the 2016 World Cup. These rankings are representative of nation performance since 2013. All international competition results are tracked in ELO form, creating a more true indication of the best baseball nations over time. 1. Mexico- 1346 2. Canada- 1141 3. United States - 1008 4. South Korea - 982 5. Puerto Rico - 901 6. Venezuela - 856 7. Japan - 765 A more detailed summary of nation rankings over time can be found below: 2017 First Region Tournament The IBF announced today the second "First Region" tournament, featuring 8 nations. This will likely be the last First Region event as the IBF will begin to expand into two separate regions once a new nation establishes a national team in 2018. Mexico, the 2013 champion, highlights the field as well as Cuba, who has officially submitted entry into the tournament and will participate in their first ever official IBF event. This event will contain a 6-game round robin with the top two teams from each group advancing into a 4-team, single elimination tournament. Groups are as follows (national rank in parenthesis): GROUP A (1) Mexico (4) South Korea (5) Puerto Rico (8) Cuba GROUP B (2) Canada (3) United States (6) Venezuela (7) Japan Association Championship Week is Next!

08-02-2017, 10:52 PM	#503
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016 Championship Week! 2016 Championship (1) Dallas vs. (2) Houston Game 1: Dallas - 9; Houston - 3 Game 2: Dallas - 3; Houston - 0 Game 3: Houston - 4; Dallas - 3 Game 4: Houston - 4; Dallas - 3 Game 5: Dallas - 2; Houston - 0 Game 6: Dallas - 2; Houston - 0 Dallas wins the series 4-2 and finally, after 16 years, wins their first ever USABL Championship! Series MVP: SP Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas Final Playoff Tree 2016 Wild Card Round Best of 5 (2) Puebla vs. (3) Monterrey Game 1: Monterrey - 3; Puebla - 0 Game 2: Puebla - 3; Monterrey - 2 Game 3: Puebla - 6; Monterrey - 5 Game 4: Monterrey - 3; Puebla - 1 Game 5: Monterrey - 3; Puebla - 1 Monterrey wins the series 3-2, and advances to the MEXBL Finals! Series MVP: C R.J. Natal (MEX) - Monterrey 2016 Championship (1) Mexico City vs. (3) Monterrey Game 1: Mexico City - 6; Monterrey - 2 Game 2: Mexico City - 4; Monterrey - 3 Game 3: Mexico City - 6; Monterrey - 1 Game 4: Monterrey - 5; Mexico City - 2 Game 5: Mexico City - 5; Monterrey - 0 Mexico City wins the series 4-1 and wins their 5th MEXBL Championship in just 6 years! Series MVP: SP Andres Pantoja (MEX) - Mexico City Final Playoff Tree 2016 Championship (1) Toronto vs. (2) Ottawa Game 1: Toronto - 18; Ottawa - 5 Game 2: Toronto - 14; Ottawa - 7 Game 3: Toronto - 6; Ottawa - 4 Game 4: Ottawa - 7; Toronto - 4 Game 5: Ottawa - 10; Toronto - 5 Game 6: Toronto - 6; Ottawa - 5 Toronto wins the series 4-2 and wins their 1st ever CANBL Championship! All four original CANBL teams have now won championships! Series MVP: C Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto Final Playoff Tree -- That does it for the club season! Champions league preview and tournament to come. Additionally, there will be one more Hall of Fame announcement before the year is out. @KingOfWarsaw - This is a great thought and I'll have a lot of detail in terms of where things are at tomorrow as part of the Champions League preview.

08-03-2017, 12:40 PM	#504
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	Positional Hall of Fame at Third Base Inducts Darby Duncan Positional Hall of Fame at Third Base The IBF Positional Hall of Fame of Third Base has announced today that 3B Darby Duncan (USA) will be the first member into their positional Hall of Fame. Duncan, a veteran of both New York and Philadelphia played 9 seasons in the IBF from 2000-2009. He will represent the Philadelphia Baseball Club in this Hall of Fame. During his time in the IBF, he compiled the following stats (stats are games in which Duncan played 3B, and represented his positional All-Time rank at induction date, where applicable): Games: 341 At-Bats: 1200 - 10th Runs: 163 - 8th Hits: 320 - 8th Doubles: 44 - 10th Triples: 7 - 5th Home Runs: 41 - 5th RBIs: 177 - 6th Stolen Bases: 16 AVG: .267 - 5th OPS: .776 - 5th WAR: 11.4 - 7th Darby Duncan revolutionized third base in the IBF. After starting his career in New York, Duncan moved onto become a star in Philadelphia leading the club to their only playoff appearance in team history. A 3-time All-Star at 3B, and the 2002 MVP of the league, Duncan showed that he could play with the best of them. While his tenure in the IBF was somewhat short at just 9 years, he still remains one of the best Third Basemen in federation history, and certainly the first truly great one. The committee voted him in just above the 75% threshold as he becomes the first member of the IBF Positional Hall of Fame of Third Base. -- That concludes this year's Hall of Fame inductees. More will be announced during the 2017 season! As a guide see below for all of the 2016 inductions: Philadelphia Franchise: Darby Duncan New York Franchise: Milo Hoover, Kevin Adkins Dallas Franchise: Aaron Klink, Mike Cooper Positional at 3B: Darby Duncan

08-07-2017, 10:23 PM	#506
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016 Club World Cup - Round Robin November 1 - November 15, 2016 Chicago, Illinois, USA Group A Dallas - 51-19 (.729) - 1st USABL - Rank: 11 Montreal - 22-22 (.500) - 3rd CANBL - Rank: 21 Monterrey - 30-24 (.556) - 3rd MEXBL - Rank: 17 Caracas - 5-15 (.250) - 2nd VENBL - Rank: N/A Group B Houston - 44-26 (.629) - 2nd USABL - Rank: 3 New York - 34-36 (.486) - 7th USABL - Rank: 10 Miami - 29-41 (.414) - 8th USABL - Rank: 14 Maracaibo - 15-5 (.750) - 1st VENBL - Rank: N/A Group C Washington - 44-26 (.629) - 3rd USABL - Rank: 8 Los Angeles - 35-36 (.493) - 6th USABL - Rank: 5 Toluca - 26-28 (.481) - 4th MEXBL - Rank: 13 Leon - 7-47 (.130) - 7th MEXBL - Rank: N/A Group D Mexico City - 39-16 (.709) - 1st MEXBL - Rank: 4 Ottawa - 23-21 (.523) - 2nd CANBL - Rank: 12 San Francisco - 21-49 (.300) - 9th USABL - Rank: 16 Calgary - 20-24 (.455) - 5th CANBL - Rank: 19 Group E Chicago - 40-30 (.571) - 4th USABL - Rank: 1 Boston - 36-35 (.507) - 5th USABL - Rank: 2 Tijuana - 26-28 (.481) - 5th MEXBL - Rank: 15 Guadalajara - 24-30 (.444) - 6th MEXBL - Rank: 6 Group F Puebla - 38-17 (.691) - 2nd MEXBL - Rank: 20 Toronto - 25-19 (.568) - 1st CANBL - Rank: 7 Philadelphia - 17-53 (.243) - 10th USABL - Rank: 18 Vancouver - 20-24 (.455) - 4th CANBL - Rank: 9 Tournament Seeds 1. Washington (USA) 2. Dallas (USA) 3. Los Angeles (USA) 4. New York (USA) 5. Chicago (USA) 6. Houston (USA) 7. Vancouver (CAN) 8. Puebla (MEX) 9. Monterrey (MEX) 10. Calgary (CAN) 11. San Francisco (USA) 12. Tijuana (MEX) The tournament takes place tomorrow!

08-08-2017, 11:16 PM	#507
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016 Club World Cup - Tournament November 10 - November 15, 2016 Chicago, Illinois Wild Card Round (5) Chicago [USA] vs. (12) Tijuana [MEX] (6) Houston [USA] vs. (11) San Francisco [USA] (7) Vancouver [CAN] vs. (10) Calgary [CAN] (8) Puebla [MEX] vs. (9) Monterrey [MEX] Quarterfinal Round (1) Washington [USA] vs. (8) Puebla [MEX] (2) Dallas [USA] vs. (10) Calgary [CAN] (3) Los Angeles [USA] vs. (6) Houston [USA] (4) New York [USA] vs. (5) Chicago [USA] Semifinal Round (1) Washington [USA] vs. (5) Chicago [USA] (2) Dallas [USA] vs. (6) Houston [USA] (A USABL finals rematch!) 2016 Club World Cup Finals (5) Chicago [USA] vs. (6) Houston [USA] Chicago wins their second Club Championship in a row, and wins the 2016 Club World Cup! Final Bracket Awards and early off-season updates to come... Updated Champions List: IBF History 2000 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club 2001 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club 2002 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club 2003 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club 2004 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club 2005 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club 2006 USABL Champion: New York Baseball Club 2007 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club 2008 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club 2009 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club 2010 USABL Champion: Houston Baseball Club 2011 USABL Champion: Los Angeles Baseball Club 2012 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club 2013 USABL Champion: Chicago Baseball Club 2014 USABL Champion: Houston Baseball Club 2015 USABL Champion: Washington Baseball Club 2016 USABL Champion: Dallas Baseball Club 2010 CANBL Champion: Vancouver Baseball Club 2011 CANBL Champion: Montreal Baseball Club 2012 CANBL Champion: Montreal Baseball Club 2013 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club 2014 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club 2015 CANBL Champion: Ottawa Baseball Club 2016 CANBL Champion: Toronto Baseball Club 2011 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club 2012 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club 2013 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club 2014 MEXBL Champion: Monterrey Baseball Club 2015 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club 2016 MEXBL Champion: Mexico City Baseball Club 2016 VENBL Champion: Maracaibo Baseball Club 2007 Gold Cup Champion: United States 2009 Gold Cup Champion: United States 2011 Gold Cup Champion: Mexico 2012 Division I Champion: Mexico 2013 First Region Champion: Mexico 2014 Americas Cup Champion: Mexico 2015 Division I Champion: Mexico 2016 World Cup: Mexico 2010 North American Champions League D1: Dallas Baseball Club 2011 First Region Champions League D1: Los Angeles Baseball Club 2012 Division I Champions League D1: Houston Baseball Club 2013 First Region Champions League D1: Los Angeles Baseball Club 2014 North American Champions League D1: Boston Baseball Club 2015 Division I Champions League D1: Chicago Baseball Club 2016 Club World Cup: Chicago Baseball Club 2010 North American Champions League D2: Chicago Baseball Club 2011 First Region Champions League D2: Washington Baseball Club 2013 First Region Champions League D2: Miami Baseball Club 2014 North American Champions League D2: Toronto Baseball Club 2010 North American Champions League D3: Boston Baseball Club Last edited by CivicEvo; 08-09-2017 at 04:33 PM.

08-02-2017, 03:39 PM	#502
KingofWarsaw Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 103	I know I asked this question the last time you posted the country rankings, but it seems like the USA are just doing worse and worse. The league leaders from every league were mostly Mexicans, which we had expected because they dominated. But now, the US is better matched up against South Korea than they are Canada. Seeing as the USA league is the best it is so interesting to me that the Americans have seemingly stopped producing talent. Are there any young Americans that you think could propel the US to the top?

08-10-2017, 01:06 AM	#508
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016 IBF Association Award Winners United States Baseball League Most Valuable Player Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - 3B - Dallas (1st) Pitcher of the Year Antonio Palacios (MEX) - SP - Dallas (3rd) Reliever of the Year Will March (CAN) - RP - Dallas (3rd) All-Stars Pitcher: Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas (3rd) Catcher: Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas (3rd) First Base: Bob Wolfe (USA) - New York (2nd) Second Base: Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas (3rd) Third Base: Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas (2nd) Shortstop: Antonio Santos (MEX) - Boston (1st) Left Field: Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington (3rd) Center Field: Jose Guzman (PUR) - Los Angeles (1st) Right Field: Broderick Paul (CAN) - Los Angeles (1st - USABL) Mexico Baseball League Most Valuable Player Hector Flores (MEX) - RF - Puebla (2nd) Pitcher of the Year Carl Walker (USA) - SP - Puebla (1st) Reliever of the Year Danny Castillo (MEX) - RP - Monterrey (1st) All-Stars Pitcher: Carl Walker (USA) - Puebla (1st) Catcher: R.J. Natal (MEX) - Monterrey (2nd) First Base: Armando Rodriguez (MEX) - Tijuana (1st) Second Base: Pete Corson (USA) - Tijuana (1st) Third Base: Eddie Lopez (MEX) - Monterrey (1st) Shortstop: Alfonso Trujillo (MEX) - Mexico City (3rd) Left Field: Juan Munoz (MEX) - Toluca (1st) Center Field: Tony Fuentes (PUR) - Monterrey (1st) Right Field: Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla (2nd) Canada Baseball League Most Valuable Player Jorge Gomez (MEX) - C - Toronto (2nd) Pitcher of the Year Bob Winsor (CAN) - SP - Toronto (1st) Reliever of the Year Jake Mortimer (USA) - RP - Montreal (1st) All-Stars Pitcher: Bob Winsor (CAN) - Toronto (1st) Catcher: Jorge Gomez (MEX) - Toronto (6th) First Base: Gerald Durieux (CAN) - Montreal (3rd) Second Base: Bill Bolitho (AUS) - Calgary (1st) Third Base: Julien Blanc (CAN) - Calgary (7th) Shortstop: Manny Flores (MEX) - Toronto (1st) Left Field: Brad Updegraff (USA) - Montreal (1st) Center Field: Michel Sanchez (CAN) - Toronto (1st) Right Field: Ken Stackhouse (CAN) - Ottawa (1st) Venezuela Baseball League Most Valuable Player Christian Teslo (CAN) - CF - Maracaibo (1st) Pitcher of the Year Pierangelo Baldato (VEN) - SP - Maracaibo (1st) Reliever of the Year Joseph Warren (USA) - RP - Maracaibo (1st) All-Stars Pitcher: Pierangelo Baldato (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st) Catcher: Alejandro Fierro (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st) First Base: Billy Kaufman (USA) - Caracas (1st) Second Base: David Vogel (USA) - Maracaibo (1st - VENBL) Third Base: Ernesto Amaro (CUB) - Caracas (1st) Shortstop: Manny Gonzales (VEN) - Caracas (1st) Left Field: Gil Sandoval (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st) Center Field: Christian Teslo (CAN) - Maracaibo (1st) Right Field: Murilo Caseiro (VEN) - Maracaibo (1st) Up Next: A list of the Top 25 Free Agents as we move into the 2017 First Region International Tournament and the IBF Offseason!

08-10-2017, 09:26 PM	#509
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016 Free Agent List Revealed The IBF has released the top 25 players to hit free agency this upcoming off-season: After the 2017 First Region Championship, the offseason will begin in earnest and these 25 players (plus more) could find themselves in new homes! We'll update the sheet after the off-season with who landed where. Next Up: The 2017 First Region Championship Preview

08-14-2017, 04:19 PM	#510
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2017 First Region Championship Preview The 2017 First Region Tournament is about to get under way! This preview will include the following: Composite Rankings and the Top 5 Players at each Position. Composite Rankings Positional Rankings 2016 Club team listed; if none listed, did not appear in an IBF Association game. Catchers 1. Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas 2. Randy Dunse (CAN) - Vancouver 3. R.J. Natal (MEX) - Monterrey 4. Masao Tsuboi (JPN) 5. Miguel Elorza (VEN) First Base 1. Devin Clark (CAN) - Boston 2. Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Houston 3. Bob Wolfe (USA) - New York 4. Armando Pena (PUR) 5. Ricky Acuna (CUB) - Puebla Second Base 1. Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas 2. Jeff Pugliese (USA) - Houston 3. Tony Fuentes (PUR) - Monterrey 4. Alex Haydon (CAN) - Miami 5. Orlando Seda (VEN) - Boston Third Base 1. Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas 2. Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston 3. Chris Renda (CAN) - Miami 4. Ernesto Amaro (CUB) - Caracas 5. Carlos Segura (PUR) - Guadalajara Shortstop 1. Antonio Santos (MEX) - Boston 2. Nick Muglia (USA) - New York 3. Ethan Paddock (CAN) - Los Angeles 4. Daisuke Yamashiro (JPN) - Puebla 5. Antonio Gamez (VEN) - Toronto Left Field 1. Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington 2. Eric Towers (USA) - Houston 3. Esteban Bello (MEX) - Guadalajara 4. Mario Landin (PUR) - Dallas 5. Yoon-tae Sohn (KOR) - New York Center Field 1. Jose Guzman (PUR) - Los Angeles 2. Jean-Luc Delattre (CAN) - San Francisco 3. Bobby Wicker (USA) - New York 4. Eddie Lopez (MEX) - Monterrey 5. Leonardo Medina (VEN) Right Field 1. Steve Coblentz (USA) - Mexico City 2. Bill Klein (CAN) - Boston 3. Yong-u Che (KOR) - Washington 4. Hector Flores (MEX) - Puebla 5. Juan Valdez (VEN) - Boston Starting Pitcher (Ace Listed) 1. Vance Armstrong (USA) - New York 2. Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas 3. Glen Leahy (CAN) - Dallas 4. Hugo Guerrero (PUR) - Ottawa 5. Benigno Oliveria (VEN) - Washington Relief Pitcher/Closer 1. Will March (CAN) - Dallas 2. Danny Dewar (USA) - Boston 3. Myun-gu Kim (KOR) - Puebla 4. Jose Torrez (PUR) - Boston 5. Danny Castillo (MEX) - Monterrey 2017 First Region Tournament The IBF announced today the second "First Region" tournament, featuring 8 nations. This will likely be the last First Region event as the IBF will begin to expand into two separate regions once a new nation establishes a national team in 2018. Mexico, the 2013 champion, highlights the field as well as Cuba, who has officially submitted entry into the tournament and will participate in their first ever official IBF event. This event will contain a 6-game round robin with the top two teams from each group advancing into a 4-team, single elimination tournament. Groups are as follows (national rank in parenthesis): GROUP A (1) Mexico (4) South Korea (5) Puerto Rico (8) Cuba GROUP B (2) Canada (3) United States (6) Venezuela (7) Japan Round Robin portion of the tournament is tonight!

08-15-2017, 12:29 AM	#511
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2017 First Region Championship: Round Robin GROUP A The Teams (1) Mexico - 1346 Points (4) South Korea - 982 Points (5) Puerto Rico - 901 Points (8) Cuba - N/A The Results GROUP B The Teams (2) Canada - 1141 Points (3) United States - 1008 Points (6) Venezuela - 856 Points (7) Japan - 765 Points The Results -- The Bracket Matchups - Single Elimination (1) Canada [B] vs. (4) United States [B] (2) Mexico [A] vs. (3) Puerto Rico [A] The tournament is next! Last edited by CivicEvo; 08-15-2017 at 12:30 AM.

08-16-2017, 07:09 PM	#512
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2017 First Region Championship: Tournament Semifinal Round [B](1) Canada [B] vs. (4) United States (2) Mexico [A] vs. (3) Puerto Rico [A] 2017 First Region Finals (2) Mexico vs. (4) United States Tournament MVP: RF Hector Flores (MEX) - .400 AVG - 4 HR - 10 RBI MEXICO once again reigns supreme and wins the 2017 First Region Tournament. This is their seventh consecutive international victory. The offseason report comes next!

08-18-2017, 10:52 PM	#513
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2017 Players By Country The 2017 season is set to get under way! An offseason recap and 2017 USABL Preview will be up over the next few days, but with the IFA season having come and gone, here is an update on how countries are trending from 2015-2017 in terms of registered IBF players: A few notes: - The United States is still struggling to maintain their numbers each year. Certainly, many believe their success in this year's international tournament could help some, but for whatever reason more players are still going out than coming in. As a result, Mexico is by far the #1 baseball factory in the world these days. - It should come as no surprise, but the four countries with association leagues are the top-4 most common countries of registered IBF players. Venezuela saw a gain of 13 players this year, and it's likely that type of growth will continue in the short-term. - England became the 16th country to reach 20 registered players. Japan and Puerto Rico are the only countries without leagues that have 50 players registered in the IBF. - The biggest growth markets (non-association) this year were Australia, Japan, Italy, Costa Rica, and England. That ranges 4 continents! - Argentina and South Africa registered 5 and 4 players respectively, in their initial year as a registered baseball nation. The offseason report is next!

08-20-2017, 11:45 AM	#514
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2016-17 Offseason Report: Top 25 Free Agents Earlier this offseason we displayed the top 25 free agents in the IBF. With the off-season coming to a close, this is how they landed: It was the biggest FA signing period in IBF history, with a record 6 players receiving over $10,000 average yearly salaries! - Kent Marsh (USA) stayed with Houston, signing the biggest contract in franchise history at $74,400 over 6 seasons. - His teammate, Paco Guichardo (MEX) got a short-term huge deal from Philadelphia and will move to the City of Brotherly Love as he instantly becomes the team leader as he tries to move that team out from the bottomless pit they have been for many years. - Dallas recruited Jorge Calderon (MEX) to become their shortstop, as they signed the Mexican All-Star to a 6 year deal worth $81,000 - the biggest contract of the off-season. He joins an All-Star Mexican infield which already had Tony Gomez and League MVP Edgar Bonilla. Dallas has become a real hotbed for All-Star Mexican players who can earn top dollars while being closer to their home country. - As a result, Bob Hudson (USA) moved on to Chicago, signing a 5 year deal at $61,000. Chicago was in the market for a star SS after moving Antonio Santos to Boston during the 2016 season. - Finally, a pair of pitchers hit the $10K mark as George Gregg (USA) returned to his roots in San Francisco signing a 3 year deal, and Houston signed Steven Watson (USA) to a 3 year deal replacing what they were expecting to pay Guichardo before he left for Philly. - A more formalized USABL preview will be up tonight, with the season getting fully underway tomorrow!

08-21-2017, 02:28 PM	#515
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	2017 USABL Preview The 2017 USABL Season is about to get under way! This preview will include the following: Composite Rankings and the Top 5 Players at each Position. Composite Rankings Positional Rankings Catchers 1. Alex Marquez (CRC) - Chicago 2. Nasir Hussaini (USA) - Dallas 3. Chang-ho Park (USA) - Houston 4. Bob Roseberry (USA) - Philadelphia 5. Jeremy Patterson (USA) - Los Angeles First Base 1. Victor Gonzalez (PAN) - Dallas 2. Devin Clark (CAN) - Boston 3. Frank Torres (MEX) - Chicago 4. Paco Guichardo (MEX) - Philadelphia 5. Bob Wolfe (USA) - New York Second Base 1. Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas 2. Jeff Pugliese (USA) - Houston 3. Kyle Lewellen (USA) - New York 4. Alex Haydon (CAN) - Miami 5. Mitchell Williams (USA) - Boston Third Base 1. Edgar Bonilla (MEX) - Dallas 2. Kent Marsh (USA) - Houston 3. Alex Munoz (USA) - Miami 4. Weldon Parker (USA) - New York 5. J.D. Brown (USA) - Los Angeles Shortstop 1. Antonio Santos (MEX) - Boston 2. Nick Muglia (USA) - New York 3. Jorge Calderon (MEX) - Dallas 4. Bob Hudson (USA) - Chicago 5. Chris Renda (CAN) - Miami Left Field 1. Robert Delattre (CAN) - Washington 2. Dan Aylward (CAN) - Boston 3. Gordon Henry (CAN) - Dallas 4. Mario Moreno (MEX) - San Francisco 5. Joe Moran (USA) - Los Angeles Center Field 1. Jose Guzman (PUR) - Los Angeles 2. Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston 3. Tyler Hickmott (BRB) - Chicago 4. Jean-Luc Delattre (CAN) - San Francisco 5. Bobby Wicker (USA) - New York Right Field 1. Arturo Calderon (CRC) - Miami 2. Jose Rojas (MEX) - Chicago 3. Bill Klein (CAN) - Boston 4. Broderick Paul (CAN) - Los Angeles 5. Eric Towers (USA) - Houston Starting Pitcher (Ace Listed) 1. Brian Leise (USA) - Washington 2. Antonio Palacios (MEX) - Dallas 3. Antonio Lopez (MEX) - Houston 4. Mike Garrett (USA) - Chicago 5. Richard Woodard (USA) - Miami Relief Pitcher/Closer 1. Will March (CAN) - Dallas 2. Billy McGee (USA) - Washington 3. Hudson Pretty (CAN) - Los Angeles 4. Steven Hickman (USA) - New York 5. Danny Dewar (USA) - Boston

08-21-2017, 11:21 PM	#516
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	Week 0: June 15 - June 18, 2017 Standings: June 18, 2017 Starting next update (tomorrow): The start of weekly updates on players who are considered significant in IBF history. Each league has players that have contributed at a high level over the course of their careers. It's time to start reporting on that. That will begin tomorrow. One small update from Canada as Ottawa has signed OF Ricky Garrison (USA) to a 1 year, $1,780 contract.

08-23-2017, 04:38 PM	#518
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	Announcement: Valencia Baseball Club VALENCIA, VENEZUELA June 25, 2017 The Venezuelan Baseball Association, in concert with the International Baseball Federation, has announced the formation of the Venezuelan league's third team - the Valencia Baseball Club, to begin operations for the 2018 season. About Valencia From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia,_Carabobo Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela. The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies Map of the League Valencia Highlighted in Green Week 2 comes tonight!

08-24-2017, 02:29 PM	#520
CivicEvo All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 672	June 2017 Players of the Month June Players of the Month The United States Baseball League has announced the following players as June’s Players of the Month: SP Kyle Morehouse (USA) - Washington Philadelphia, Pennsylvania C Alex Marquez (CRC) - Chicago San Miguel, Costa Rica 1B Sam Londrigan (USA) - Washington Bethesda, Maryland 2B Tony Gomez (MEX) - Dallas San Vicente, Mexico 3B Alex Munoz (USA) - Miami Waldoboro, Maine SS Bruno Pierson (CAN) - Los Angeles Vancouver, British Columbia LF Ben Bailey (USA) - Houston Ontario, California CF Antonio Torres (HON) - Houston Tegucigalpa, Honduras RF Arturo Calderon (CRC) - Miami Guacimo, Costa Rica